by Raffa aka Picster

by Bene aka Benji

Hey everyone!

It´s finally time for me to start also a little WIP series form my workbench.
Yesterday Raffa and me had a really nice (and long) painting night. While he was working on his actual project I started the Chosen of the Bull from Forged Monkey and I have to say that I didn´t have that much fun painting a miniature in a while. I love the sculpt, because all the shapes are very clear and nicely defined for painting, so everything works really easy while painting.

Here´s a little picture of my version, I painted around 11 hours yesterday on this fellow:

by Raffa aka Picster

Hey everyone!

Can you hear the wind blowing through the jungle? It's a bit quite at the moment ... mainly because Roman is away for his much deserved vacation!

But this won't stop the rest of the jungle from posting.
At the moment I'm working on a new project... it's very demanding and one of the few moments when I am happy about all the electronic classes I got in school when I did my apprenticeship as a Specialised Computer Scientist (finished in 2002, oh my, time flies).

And still I got some eletric shocks by touching the wrong parts at the wrong time!
I don't want to show any work in progress photos right now, but I think soon will be the time to reveal some parts :)

Just one small teaser photo, hehe

But when I'm not soldering stuff, I still have other projects, building a new turntable for more turnaround videos and painting a Nurgle terminator (he has some cool name, but I forgot it / EDIT: Typhus, Herald of Nurgle [Thanks for the Facebook comment :) ]):

It's pretty basic paintjob so far without a fancy base... but as said, it's just for fun and relaxation!

I hope I get to the studio soon to continue with my project... at the moment there is still very much to do at home...

Oh and for some really nice videos, check out the YouTube Channel of Legacy Effects. Some special effect sweetness awaits you there (without CG, real oldschool stuff ;)

by Bene aka Benji

Hello dear readers!

after the Games Day in Cologne I was (and still be) really motivated for painting, although I already did barely something else the weeks before the Games Day. But it is really relaxing to paint again without the pressure for a contest. So this is the reason, why I started to finish some of the miniatures I began a while ago for different reasons. Most of the minis I started because I wanted to try out some techniques, ideas or just because I needed something different while I was painting another miniature. In fact this leads to some (many^^) unfinished figures and I think nearly everyone of you knows this by himself.

So this one is the first miniature of those, which I finished recently. It´s nothing really special, more like a relatively fast gaming miniature. I began this one pretty close after the hobbit film, because I somehow liked the new colorscheme of Elrond in armor. As it was an old gaming figure from me the base isn´t really special (and because I was too lazy to build a new one at that time).

by Roman aka jar

by Roman aka jar

Welcome back to the sequel of this Kong Fu ...

You might ask yourself: Why are there not yet any good photos of my diorama?
I can tell you I ask myself the same question, but as I am always honest to the jungle I can just say I feel like an air mattress that loses more air everyday. Yeah, this fits pretty well ... ppppffffftttttt!!!

If you missed the first and second part of this Kong Fu you can find it here:

Ok.
Were to start? I am ssoooooo ppppfffffttttt!!!
Spending 2,5 months in the studio, focused, slaving myself through summer really left a mark and I am sure I am not the only one outthere who feels ... yeah, empty after the Games Day. Everything was so focused on that day, the pleasant anticipation to see many nice people again, the day when all our projects have to be done, the day when the "suffering" and "slaving" ourselves stops. Pppfftttt!

I planned to relax a little during the week after the Games Day but winning that sword did not made this easy. I was so happy to recieve a thousand congratz here and there but my mind was not able to relax. No chance. This week was even more mad than the weeks before while I was hiding in the cave.

We planned to make good photos of the project as many were asking for those but we soon realised this will not be as easy: It is simply too big and were in need to get a new photobackground, etc., etc. ... this is done in the meantime but as my holidays are approaching with fast pace I won't be able to do them now. Sorry to everybody who waits for it and also who waits for the big articles about it. I know the good things come to those who wait in the end. Thanks for your patience. I really feel sorry.

Moment of Truth
I wanted to tell you about my motivation to glue 127 figures together to do this diorama and I will also tell you about my moment of truth. This moment was definatly not winning the sword.

My motivation is horrible when it comes to paint for a competition. That is what I have learned in the past. If I choose to paint a model for an upcoming event, I often failed and got stuck in too much pressure I make myself. Maybe some of you know what I am talking of. That is why I never was really able to prepare myself for Golden Demon. This time I did prepare myself but with a total different goal. Sure I wanted to enter something. First I thought maybe do as many entries as I can, but somehow this thought got washed away pretty quick as this year turned out to be pretty busy with all the book campaign, painting classes, comissions and stuff ...

I said to myself I want to create a project - not to win something - but one where people say: I am crazy. That motivation really helped me and during the process I often said to myself: This is madness! Look at your fingers, all dirty with superglue from gluing way too many figures to a base and so on ... I really fought myself to avoid thoughts of "Mmh, maybe I win something!" or "Yes, this is it! This will win something" or "This piece is a gold entry" or whatever ... I hate those thoughts as you never can plan something like the results of a competition - it just puts you under pressure, makes your emotions run wild, makes you envy others, etc. It even can turn a great weekend into sadness if your work is not rewarded as you wished for. That is why I learned not to expect anything. I learned to expect something from myself, that is the point where I can put some effort in, give as much as I can. Whine. Cry. Cheer. Sleep. Bleed. Sweat. Ppffffftttt!

Sure, some of you might now say: It is easy for him to say as he has won the sword!!! ... but I can only say to you that during all the - excuse me - brainfucks I had during the work on this diorama I really forced myself not to expect something. We are now soon heading to the Moment of Truth in this blablabla, sorry for taking so long.

Some of you maybe followed the blog posts during June/July and early August and I somehow think, maybe I was whining too much. In retroperspective I do not want to miss a single moment that I worked on this piece nor do I regret anything.
I learned so much about myself while fighting my inner demons and in the end this is what made myself proud.

At the Golden Demon Competition I learned that the project is over now and I really did not want to look at my piece anymore. I was just sick of it, knowing there could be even more work to be put in, knowing every little failure of it.

In the afternoon I took a walk around the cabinets and enjoyed the works of everybody who entered the contest and "Hell, yeah!" - there was bloody awesomeness all around. So many great painted figures, so much heart by all the painters, so much time invested, so much power in these numbers. This was my moment of truth were I somehow knew that I was not the only one who painted as a madman on something totally crazy. I, for my part saw many amazing figures, new ideas, great conversions, that I did enjoy so much that I forced myself again not to think about the upcoming contest results, rather enjoy the time with the people around and the great figures in the cabinet. Just to get away from those thoughts of "who might win what!" and "this will be winner!" and "how does this entry in my category look compared to mine?" and so on ... just to get away from these thoughts. I for me saw my personal favourites and really was stunned of the beauty and detail work of some pieces. Personal favourites, everybody has them while walking among the cabinets. A lot of people told me they think I am crazy with my project. Hey, that was my goal!!! My goal is achieved!!!

That was my Moment of Truth: When I felt the energies of all these painted figures and I knew I was not the only one suffering to get my project in. I am just a crazy painter in the middle of crazy painters. I loved that moment.

I know from my work as a judge on painting competitions that judging is hard work if you want to do a proper job and it takes time. Looking at the Golden Demon judges I was really sorry for them, having so many, many great pieces, so filled up cabinets and so less time, but as the Games Day is only one day the price ceremony arrived pretty quick.

I was really happy that my name was announced to be part of the winner ceremony like many others. The moments behind the curtain - even the air was pretty tense there - were ... I don't find words. It was like the air mattress started to ppppfffftttt already. It was so cool having Mo Ganji sitting next to me as sometimes there are moments to cherish you never forget ;)

As said: I don't remember much when my name was announced for the Sword. The memories are just too blurry and that is pretty sad when you think about slaving and suffering through summer on a big project - in the end for a moment you can not remember ... really a strange experience :D

Again, biggest congratulations to everyone who took home a demon or a finalist pin or just entered the competition. Every single figure in the Golden Demon cabinets made the Golden Demon Germany what it was in 2013.

In conclusion I can say for me that I have learnt to do a big project for the first time. I mean a really big project where you stop counting the hours after 400. And I have learned to motivate myself with not winning sth at the competition, but with reaching my inner demons and slay them. I think not an event or a painting competition is a goal worth of fighting them. The event is just the time limit you set yourself to get your project done.

After the Games Day was official over big group of painters met down at the river Rhein, a short walk from the Gürzenich to drink one or two or three bar and spent some nice moments together. This was truely a big joy! Some of my impressions:

Goodbye!
For me it is now time to say goodbye to my beloved jungle as I am heading out for holiday to regain whatever is there to regain. I will miss the jungle but I'll be back. Meanwhile I hope the jungle will not get too quiet but I did hide some bananas for my monkeybrothers and I am sure they will get mad about them and search them in the jungle.

I found even more interesting links out there in the blog world - great posts, great people - thanks for taking so much time for this:

by Roman aka jar

by -Matt Cexwish-

Hi Di Ho!

Ever since I have accidentally stumbled upon seeing the hidden beauty of the Movement of an old Rocking Chair in my Studies a couple of years ago, I got obsessed by Frozen Movements... It is pretty remarkable what we cannot see at the same time, yet it still exists...

Marijn Van Gils did this Minaiture Project a couple of years ago (2007) for the Euromilitaire and I think it´s nothing but amazing! Combining both his passion for the music and person of Zappa, he captured a sequence of moments that appear very abstract, but also very dynamic and intriguing...

Braques was inspired by studies from Marcel Duchamps and Eadweard Muybridge (Great name for an even greater Bearded Guy! :D)

In the conclusion, it´s remarkable to see how new Technologies like the upcoming Film Media succeeded in inspiring and transforming other arts! Once again, this shows the importance of being aware of one´s surroundings instead of focusing on beaten paths and the status quo...

Imagine what possibilities and impact modern media like dance, music, new technologies and theories could have as soon as they get "translated" into the language of Miniatures!

by Roman aka jar

Hello jungle friends,

I know many of you are still waiting to see good photos of my big diorama but honestly it is not done yet. We are on it and also prepare a 360° and detail video, but it takes time and time is limited right now for me as I am already preparing my two weeks of holiday which is starting soon. So the only thing I can ask is patience and meanwhile you can listen to this song if you are getting bored.

As you might have seen there are some painted figures in the lottery for our readers and those who subscribe to our newsletter. Those figures have been painted for fun a while ago ... these are my two:

Ghoul

Sedition Wars, 28 mm

Marine

Sedition Wars, 28 mm

Nothing fency here, just pure fun figures with the goal to give them away for our readers. Indeed I can see I do like the Sedition Wars figures. Great quality and detailed figures. Hope you like them too!

by Roman aka jar

Hey ho!

We told you several weeks ago that the jungle has reached 1500 Followers via blogger and on facebook we reached over 2500 likes. That is so awesome!!! And we want to give something back and say thanks!

Not much in fact. Just subscribe our Newsletter until August 31st 2013 and you will be in the lottery and maybe it is you who will be drawn as a lucky winner! You can subscribe via the blog on the right navigation bar.

by Roman aka jar

by Peter aka Baphomet

Hey Guys,

last night my good friend Andreas aka Feanor was at my place and we had a great painting session together. I´m actually working on a very-long-time-wip.... the "Drunken Pirate". It´s time to get him out of the wip-section of my cabinet as the half-finished bust makes me crazy every time I have a look at my miniatures.

So last night I focused on the face and the hat... and actually I enjoy painting him... I´m sure he won´t be a perfect paintjob but he has to be finished before I start the next project.

Here the actual pictures of Andreas´ Viking Chief and my Pirate:

There is still a lot to do... but somehow I have the feeling I will have a lot of time the next days... I wanted to fly to Egypt tomorrow and enjoy my hardly needed holidays... but well... chaos is breaking loose down there and the German Auswärtiges Amt (Office of Foreign Affairs) has published a warning... so I will cancel the holidays if it´s possible but don´t know if I get another trip quickly enough to use my free days... so if anybody has an idea where to go, I´m happy about ideas ;-)

But nevertheless... my thoughts are with my friends in Egypt... please take care!

by Roman aka jar

"Ok."

... that was the first thing that came to my mind when I was in the studio again, but a lot more thoughts followed:

My Monster of a project is now done and I was able to transport it without any damage to the place and back. Well, this place definatly needs a big clean up, what a mess. I really did spent most of my time in the last couple of weeks here? Should I be concerned about having some health issues from those hours working in here? I guess yes!

I helped cleaning up the place a little bit, but I was not really able to concentrate on one thing very long. I had to admit to myself that I was tired, exhausted and had no idea what to do with myself. While I was working on my big diorama I used a rotary disc to put it on and it changed from clean in the start to this look during the project:

After cleaning up my place again, I thought "Ok" again. What to do now? I somehow got pretty connected to this rotary thing just because of the time I was sitting in front of it. I wanted to burn something on top and so we did, but for sure not the project which stood on top of it for so long. There will be a great video tutorial about what exactly happened here, so stay tuned for the future and don't burn something on your own without getting all the information required for a campfire full of safety in our future tutorial.

Campfire time. Everybody loves campfires and somehow sharing this campfire time with my friends really was a great moment. It helped me to close the case a bit more. I was able to sit down afterwards without thinking "ok" or "ok" all the time and enjoyed the time with my friends. I was even able to take a brush again to paint and ... c'mon I thought to myself after the Tyranid-project I might not paint anymore for months, but I was wrong. I do love painting too much ...

I started on a figure that I am painting for a friend in France. I already painted it once but it is really a very relaxing figure and I was pretty happy with the result for the evening. It felt so good not to paint 127 figures, instead concentrating on only one - Krog le mutant - still WIP:

Right now I am trying to get hold of my email thunderstorm and still have to catch up with older ones which I lost during the progress of my diorama. Sorry again, but patience with me will be rewarded, promised - even my tigers at home don't look like they believe me anymore ...

by Roman aka jar

I was talking about the presentation I held early morning on Games Day Germany 2013 where I really learned to stop thinking about working on my diorama. I was so used to think about working on it when I went home from the studio in the last months so it was not easy to say: "Ok, it is done now! Really done now!" ...

A lot of people asking me these days about final studio photos of my diorama to see more and I can only say that those will be done in the next couple of days. There was no time to do them up front if you consider I was painting until Games Day came very close.

A lot of people ask me about a Work in Progress report about the project and yes, there will be one too, but don't expect that one too early. My holidays are approaching next week and as I was really asking a lot from her the last months and did not find much time for her. She now is the queen again that she deserves to be and I am finally again a strong force to clean the flat properly or get some icecream for her with my bike. So I can't tell you how fast I will be to do the report, but I can tell you there will be one for sure. Here is a little preview on some of the 300+ WIP photos I have made in the last 2,5 months:

And honestly I don't want to write about my diorama at the moment. I am not yet realizing that it is done. It feels unreal to have a normal life back or let's say it has not arrived yet and I really feel ... uhm, empty and exhausted, believe it or not. I would love to sit down and write the article just right away but I just can't at the moment. I am looking forward to go on holiday in the end of next week and meanwhile it feels I have to catch up with my life that I lost during hiding in the studio cave and catch up with my emailwork, which exploded even more after winning the Slayer Sword. And still I am getting more exhausted every day - so I think best would be to rest a little while before ... everything else.

For me it is more important to tell my Kong Fu about the Games Day and Golden Demon itself. The things I expected, the things I felt and the goals I set for myself.

Making a jump to something completly different now:
Let's start with my three most important moments I found for myself on Games Day Germany. There are four, but I already told you about the first one, where I finally realised during the presentation that the project was truely finished now. There have been many more and way more important ones: to meet friends, new and old ones but this would make this Kong Fu explode if I would describe to you what I felt meeting up with everybody and maybe you would get bored too :D

Moment 1:
Hotel Lobby on Saturday night. Already a little drunk me.

Mo Ganji, a very nice, kind and great person said he will be back in a second. He has something for me, a little gift. I did not expect a gift and there is also no need to give one to me I told him, but he just said I shall wait a second. He came back with this and said he was thinking of me while he was in Africa teaching Art classes in schools there. He has been to one village where Gorillas lived close in the mountains and they made those masks. He gave it to me and I really felt my heart explode in that moment. Unexpected.

Moment 2:
Entering the Golden Demon Competition was not as easy as I expected. I transported my diorama in a big box by Ikea, the project well fixed with Pattafix (Blue-Tac) on some wood, all fixed well inside the box. Unpacking I realized that it is not as easy to remove the Pattafix from the underneath the project and I found Mati, my good old monkeybrother to help me with this issue. I totally trust Mati and I was so happy that it was him helping me, but honestly I died a thousand deaths holding the piece while Mati was working away the rests of Pattafix with pure patience. It only took about three Minutes but for me it felt like 10 years. Thanks my friend!

When the GW-staff took the diorama into the cabinet I felt another relief.
It is done now, again :D

Moment 3:
After it was announced that I have won the sword I had the same problem that I had during the "party" in the hotel lobby. I was stunned and can't remember much. Thanks to everybody who came over to say congratz. It was really nice to have looked in so many faces I know and cherish, but honestly I can't remember much as I felt kind of knocked out. I woke up outside when everything calmed down a bit and was heading for a cigarette. Please don't smoke, it is bad for your health. I leaned the sword against the walls of the Gürzenich and there was a little boy heading towards me to give congratz. We talked a bit and he asked me - as he was taking part in this years Youngbloods category, but wasn't placed - if I might have some feedback on his figure. That's what I did and I really saw that this guy will paint the future before he got picked up by his mum. That was a great moment - I mostly forgot about smoking my cigarette as I don't like smoking in front of kids.

For sure there were many, many, many more moments I enjoyed and everybody of us there had their own moments to cherish. I just can't catch it all. So this is just my insight. Phil made some nice photos of people all around and I love to show them to you now ... mainly from the painting demonstrations I just realized. But there are so many photos around the www with figures and more people that you should check my first report

If you want to see more impressions of this years German Games Day follow these additional links. Reports about the event, people and figures popping out everywhere:

As said I will still continue this Games Day Germany 2013 - Kong Fu with more parts, but I am in a big need to regain my energies. I start this today with shaving properly again after a long while of a life in the cave.

I was pretty happy to see that there are already good photos of my diorama on the GW White Dwarf page - if you want to see them follow this link! It was truely nice meeting those White Dwarf guys from UK as they joined the aftermath-beer-session on the river. I can already say to every White Dwarf reader, that there might be a WIP article of my Diorama in a future issue of Games Workshops Hobby magazine. Stay tuned for the future!

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Welcome to the Jungle...

... MASSIVE VOODOO’s jungle, where some apes share their thoughts and ideas around their beloved passion, the hobby of miniature painting and sculpting.

Feel welcome to come and check the jungle for tons of articles, interesting tutorials, creative competitions and the simple joy of happy painting hidden behind every tree. We hope that everyone finds their own banana in here, if not do not hesitate to ask the apes. We are more than happy for you to post in the comments section to help turn this jungle into the lush, overgrown painting corner we hope it will become.